Peripheral Neuropathy Treatment: Why Your Past Treatments Failed

Peripheral Neuropathy Treatment: Why Your Past Treatment Has Failed

Many people wonder why their peripheral neuropathy treatment has failed to relieve their burning, numbness and tingling of the feet. Despite many drugs and therapies, their stubborn neuropathy symptoms persist.

Common Peripheral Neuropathy Treatments

Peripheral Neuropathy Medications

Drugs like Gabapentin, Lyrica and opioid based drugs attempt to relieve nerve pain. Some people suffering from intense pain may seem some reduction of pain, but in many cases the problem persists because the cause of the pain is not being addressed. Gabapentin and Lyrica are actually anti-seizure medications that have been used to treat nerve pain and recently for neuropathy. They are not specifically designed to treat peripheral neuropathy. Unfortunately, these drugs also have many side effects and can be quite costly.

Electrical Stimulation and Other Physical Therapy Modalities for Neuropathy

Physical therapists and chiropractors have long treated neuropathic patients with electrical stimulation with varying success. The reason why many electrical treatments also fail is because the therapy itself is designed to turn off pain messages. They are the electrical version of the drugs mentioned before. Safer than drugs? Yes, but if the treatment is just designed to turn off the nerve pain and not address what is causing the pain to begin with, the therapy is doomed to fail and often does. Other electrical or light therapies have been used, such as LED (light-emitting diode). LED therapy is becoming increasingly more popular. An array of LED lights of various wavelengths (colors) are used to effect the body. The problem with LEDs is that most are using cheap diodes and too few of them to create enough photonic energy to affect change in the body. Honestly, some LED devices are no more effective than the little red lights in your car interior or a toy. Cold laser is very promising and can be helpful as a peripheral neuropathy treatment. So why does it often fail?

The reason many physical therapy modality approaches fail is because for convenience and cost, they are rationed. Treatments are often not long enough because the therapist is in a hurry to see the next patient and cannot afford to have someone taking up so much time. Visits are limited because insurance companies only allow so many and patients are resistant to pay for longer term treatments. Often the therapist will prematurely discontinue therapy after a handful of sessions because they have achieved little or no response.

The Cause of Peripheral Neuropathy is the Key to Successful Treatment

Most people develop PN due to diabetes, aging or as a side effect of chemotherapy. The small blood vessels supplying the nerves of the feet and hands become constricted. As the nerve is starved of blood, the nerve begins to degenerate and die. Successful treatment involves improving blood flow (gradually because too much all at once can actually worsen the problem) and healing the damaged nerves. None of the treatments listed above do this and that is why they fail.